Judoka and Coach views
MY JUDO COACH AND I
When I started judo my judo coach Gerry Mc Cabe didn’t know what he was going to do with me. He was lost so we made an agreement.We would learn from each other. He started me off doing newaza (ground work) because my legs were not strong. He made up games to get results with me like the bull dog game. He was the bull dog and I had to turn him over and hold him down.
As I got stronger he would bring other people in to work with me like Sean Sullivan. I remember training in an old school hall with mats that were covered with an old canvas. I had to do newaza for at least 2 hours a day which was boring at the time but now I realise that newaza is the core of all good judo Throwing was hard for me as my legs were weak. I had to do all the classical judo throws. Tai otoshi, Harai Goshi, and so on but Gerry was adapting and changing things as we went along. He says that Judo is like a coat that you have tailor made you must develop each technique to suit your individual needs. Judo can be like a rose beautiful to look at but very hard to cultivate.
I have discovered that in judo you can be greatly influenced by people and the way that they do certain techniques. In my own Judo I have always tried to be different in the way that I perform techniques. Gerry says that is how you win. the relationship between coach and student is vital and personal as well. The coach is like a gardener and the student is a rose, the coach likes to have people look at his people and say thats a good judo player and that makes him proud. The player depends on the coach to provide him with guidance, technical coaching as well as emotional support in the judo world Gerry taught me all the areas of judo, armlocks, strangles and all he has very strong views as to how judo should be taught. He also said that he wanted to know how my mind was working in judo so he made me writes essays on specific areas of judo. He used to bring me to competitions to watch the other judo players fight and then we would pick out something and discuss it. Sean is also a good coach, he is my training partner as well. He believes that movement is judo is vital which I agree with, so he makes me do uchikomi on the move. The reason for this is that in a judo match no one is going to stay in one place One thing he didn’t tell me was that some people run at you like mad men on the judo mat ha ha - I wasn’t ready for that in Germany 2001. I am now though.
Well all I can do now is keep working and training and hopefully we will be at the special Olympics 2003. That is our main Target. well who knows ?
JJim Fergusson ( Ireland ) Disabled Judoka Jim Fergusson
LIFE in judo started for me in 1986 I took my two children Sonja who was then 6 and Craig 4 to a school fete in Cardiff. Roy was giving a judo display and encouraged anyone who wanted to have a try , Craig went on the tatami and I upset Sonja because she wanted to join Craig. I would not let her as I did not know Roy or know how he would react to her as she has Downs Syndrome. At the end of the session I went up to Roy to ask about his sessions as Craig really enjoyed himself and to ask if Sonja could join as well I was so confident he would say no to Sonja (as then I could blame Roy and I would not be the baddy in Sonja’s eyes) I felt judo was not for her everything was going through my mind i.e. getting hurt, concentration, being a girl, would she disrupt the class, what kind of person was Roy could he cope with her, to my horror he said yes bring her along, he explained that he was doing research into special needs participating in judo, oh no I had a week to try and talk Sonja out of joining the class with Craig. No joy and from that 1st session we have never looked back.
To my amazement Sonja took to judo as well as her brother it took her longer but she was determined to be able to do her throws and hold downs and loved copying her peers, the discipline she accepted and all my fears disappeared. Sonja became an orange belt before she had to retire due to ill health.
With Roy telling me all the work he was doing with involving special needs judoka, I offered to help behind the scenes, he said I could help by going on the tatami, me a mother 28 years old oh no!!!! Eventually I tried, I was lacking confidence but the seniors who were all younger than me were great, they gave me so much encouragement, my biggest hurdle was a rolling break fall it took months but I got there with the help and patience of my coaches Roy & Earl.
Roy had four sessions a week and I was so proud to be part of all four to help coach and watch each individual gain confidence, understand Japanese terminology and enjoy themselves. I will always remember one young man it took us 6 months to get him to keep hold of our lapel and sleeve, I felt I’d won the pools that day I was so proud of him.
HISTORY the echo called us a “unique judo team”, this was our first trip abroad, we gave a demonstration at the World Disabled Games in France in July 1990, it was hard work everyone really had a great time, we bonded as a team it was a learning curve for all of us. I passed my preliminary club coach award in November 1990 and club coach award in December 1991.Up until 1994 we did a lot of demonstrations all over Wales, week -ends away with our team sleeping in dojo’s and church halls. I retired in this year as my daughter was no longer able to participate I felt guilty as a mother carrying on in our sport which we both enjoyed and having Sonja sit on the edge of the tatami watching.
In 1996 I returned Sonja and I both missed our friends in judo and she was happy to watch and she became our unofficial mascot whenever we visited other clubs and held a competition at home, she wears her WISP judo track suit with pride, and to this day enjoys the fuss everyone makes of her , as all of us she has lost a good friend in John Perrins she loved her chats with him.
July 1997 1st judo international England Vs Wales. / November 1998 Wales Vs England.
May 1999 Swedish Championships / September 1999 Special Olympics Demonstration Holland
November 1999 Holland International Competition / April 2000 Belgium International.
September 2000 Wales’s 1st International Judo Championships.
I have enjoyed everyone of the above trips, all hard work but to see all the judoka’s have a great time and overcome their personal fears of going away from home for the first time let alone to a foreign country, meat cheese & bread for breakfast what no cereal’s !!
I have great memories to cherish even ones like losing a 53 seater bus full of our guests from Holland (they forgave me) to a broken suitcase in Sweden.
2001 I am now in semi - retirement unable to go abroad any more due to the deterioration of my daughters health.
The vast experience I have gained is all to Roy’s hard work , dedication and encouragement he has given to every Judoka, Coach and parent. Thank you for my life in judo Roy.
Delphine Pederson Coach / Parent / Volunteer
ATHLETE COMMENTS
Judo has given me a new goal in my life, which was so lonely.
I never thought I would be able to participate again after my accident.
It gives me confidence, and I have made many new friends.
It has given me the opportunity to participate in a sport on equal terms.
I love the competitions, trips and meeting new friends in other countries.
The discipline in the sport gives my children more confidence when out in the local community.
Everyone is so friendly.
I love judo because I am treated the same as everyone else.
I am a parent and decided to start judo myself due to watching my children enjoying themselves.
Love it, it’s great, fabulous, good, I’m a yellow belt, want to get to black belt.
I am disabled, but I have studied to become an assistant judo coach
I want to represent my country.
"Special judo" : know more about our Sport. JUDOBRASIL - 17'Mai'2002
The Prof. Roy Court (England) created a metodologia of education utilized in the transmission of the knowledge of judo. Utilizing itself of beginnings from the own modality, more the specific educational foundations to the special work, comes forming infants, young and adult in its country and conquering to Europe and the World.
Known as "Special Judo", this assignment of the sport is applied special bearers of needs, except deficient visual. These persons practice to modality seeking the leisure, physical activity for the health and therapy, the which objetivam a better quality of life. More confer in information about this practice, rules, pictures and the events in m http://www.judo-for-the-disabled.freeservers.com/
With more of 18 years of experience the Prof. Roy, presents in its site a summary from the its career and a presentation of the adaptations of the sport. In last year, him referred professor, found the Prof. Leonardo Mataruna (Unicamp) and invited him for write a chapter about the "Special Judo" in Brazil, in specific in the rio de janeiro. The book - that is in preparation end phase - will be thrown to the end of this year in the England and, in the near year, in Brazil in the epoch of the championship. In that occasion, the Prof. Roy to return to Brazil for drive an academic seminary and of arbitration about that adaptation of the sport, with the purpose of popularize the "Special Judo", aiming at to social enclosure of the special needs bearers persons.
In 2003, it will be carried out the "World Special Olympic Games" in Dublin in the Ireland, that will have the "Special Judo" as modality. As so far Brazil still did not confirm participation in the judo, the technicians and athletes interested they can send and-mails for that, joined, we tried make feasible to participation of a team Brazilian. The and-mails that will arrive they will be directed to the professional
Important it remember that not governmental resorts exist for finance to participation; therefore, to priori, each athlete will be responsible by the his expenses. He exists, in the however, to possibility of we will obtain supports that will diminish substantially the costs.
JUDOBRASIL: Judo led to grave. By Leonardo Mataruna